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Thursday, January 1, 2015

Why You Should Celebrate Your Accomplishments In 2015

I attended
a women's entrepreneur event recently and met a young lady who was
experiencing the most remarkable things. She planned to complete her MBA within
a month, had just published a children's book, created an interactive
companion app for the book, and was on a mini marketing tour for PR. As I sat
next to her in an adjacent booth stuffing bags for the event patrons, I
launched into interview mode for the next 15 minutes. The more we talked,
the more I became impressed with her humbleness as she described what she had
accomplished and the plan she was starting to work on. During the conversation
I complimented her achievements, and as she downplayed the magnitude of being a
newly published author, I realized that she, like most of us, don't stop to appreciate
our wins that got us here.

In 2015, Take Time To Celebrate Your Wins - Big And Small!

As you look
back over your life surveying your accomplishments, did you stop to celebrate
and appreciate your achievements as they occurred? The saying "stop and
smell the flowers" is as relevant now as ever and should be the sign
hanging on your mirror, refrigerator, vision board, or where ever you look to
get instant inspiration. I, too, have fallen victim to looking forward to
"the next thing" that I rarely gave my self time to revel in what
ambition and drive allowed me capture as part of a growing portfolio. There are certain things we should do to fully engage in the process of achieving our goals and now is a great time to assess how we can enhance the journey.

First, focusing on
just the destination, and not stopping to celebrate once you arrive, can be a
symptom of a bigger issue. This is when self-awareness becomes really important,
and if you are not, I encourage you to start using situations like this to understand who you are. Learning about who you are while you are going through
the peaks and valleys can help insulate you against what any naysayers or negative
thoughts may try to tell you.

Second, so what the journey is challenging on the way to the destination?
Don't get discouraged or let discomfort rob you of realizing the lesson and who
you are becoming as a result. The ability to be cognizant and appreciative of
the obstacles you are overcoming along the way is an indication of growth and
resilience. You will miss this value in the process if your only focus is
rushing towards the destination.

In 2015, consider what you can do different to enhance your journey while working towards your goals:

DO

Make a mental note or journal about your thoughts during this time. Reflect on the lessons you are learning along the way.

Thank those who encourage and support you now, not later. People don't know the value of their actions unless you tell them.

As you learn, share your lessons with someone else to encourage them while you are going through your process. This alone can give you a sense of purpose and make the journey enjoyable.

DON'T

Be threatened or feel apprehensive about others who may reach their goals before you. We are all on different paths and your time will come to claim your success.

Dismiss how you are feeling, positive or negative. It is strategic to understand the "why" behind your feelings and embrace change.

Minimize what you have done to get to where you are. Have a healthy balance of humbleness and confidence. Talk positively and candidly about yourself, opening the door to help others who may be in a difficult place.

I see
accomplishments as a tool to drive you to your greatest you. The mere
fact that you set a goal and accomplished it is evidence of your potential and
desire to grow. What is not embraced is the friction, uncertainty, awkwardness,
or uncomfortable feelings we experience as part of the process. What we are not
aware of is that this is the very essence of what it means to be "accomplished",
"an overcomer", or "a success" because you grappled with
the resistance in the process to realize the benefit.

Analyzing and learning
more about you during the journey makes the accomplishment even
sweeter in the end. Reflecting on what you made happen and sharing your unique story
of triumph can fuel you on to create new goals. Even more, your behavior
becomes a model and encourages others to pursue and accomplish their goals too,
and that is the definition of a real influencer.

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About Me

Completed my bachelor and master degrees while working a full-time job in a 24x7 operations environment. It was there that I discovered my passion is professional development and helping others excel on their career path. I believe we all have a responsibility to further the good in the world by illustrating to others that their power lies within too.